


Forever and Always

by Selantro



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Elves, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Familiars, Heroes, Kitsune, Mystical Creatures, Naga, Nymphs & Dryads, Prince Hendery, Prophets, Reader-Insert, Sirens, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Wizards, Yang Yang is reader's familiar, reader is a witch, snake charmer Ten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:35:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24046729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selantro/pseuds/Selantro
Summary: As the kingdom's head witch and a companion to a crew of wild adventurers, you were used to magical shenanigans and the lure of danger. Nothing could prepare you, however, for the dangerous quest you would have to undertake with a crew of about twenty-one different creatures, most of which you'd just met, to rescue your home from the hands of evil. Along the way, stakes and rivalries rise, culminating in a final act of true love. Just who will get to perform it?
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Reader, Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Reader, Huang Ren Jun/Reader, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Reader, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Reader, Kim Jungwoo (NCT)/Reader, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Reader, Lee Jeno/Reader, Lee Taeyong/Reader, Liu Yang Yang/Reader, Mark Lee (NCT)/Reader, Moon Taeil/Reader, NCT Ensemble & Reader, NCT Ensemble/Reader, Na Jaemin/Reader, Nakamoto Yuta/Reader, Park Jisung (NCT)/Reader, Qian Kun/Reader, Suh Youngho | Johnny/Reader, WayV Ensemble/Reader, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Reader, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Reader, Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun/Reader, Zhong Chen Le/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a few links for inspo:  
> Y/N's fit- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/577445983462904535/  
> Y/N's cottage- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/777152479434867309/  
> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/577445983463025761/
> 
> Yes I am aware that the healing incantation is from Tangled. But it literally works so well here. Yes I changed the first line of it. Fight me.

"Hey Y/N, got a minute?" A deep voice called from the open doorway.

"Hey Lucas, you can come in you know." 

"How's it going?" Said male asked as he strode into your cozy little abode with a wide grin on his face. The first thing that seemed to be on his mind was trapping your much smaller stature in a quick hug. This was by far your favorite mode of greeting. Mostly because, like Ten, you were a sucker for hugs. Gladly, you returned the affection with tight squeeze. 

"Everything's the same here. How's your hero life going, Mr. Warrior? Any extra nasty monsters? Or are you too manly for them?" You teased, now leaning against the side of the counter in your kitchen/work space. The hero stood opposite of you and chuckled before looking around. 

"You know they'll never be a match for my brawn."He joked, flexing his muscles in a goofy manner. "Hey where's Yang Yang? I haven't see him yet." 

"Mmm he's sleeping," you answered, jabbing a finger in the direction of the black cat resting in the corner of the room. As if on queue, the feline's head lifted up to peer at your company before settling back down. It seems he wasn't sleeping now, just watching;as cats do. Lucas walked over to pet the feline with his large hand. To which, a fluffy black tail flicked at lazily. 

"The usual?" You asked, already sauntering over to shelf of herbs and miscellaneous items that were practically beckoning you to use. 

"Yeah."

Automatically, your hands reached for various jars of herbs and plants and began measuring out different amounts of the substances. Lucas soon joined your side and watched you work with interest in his large puppy dog eyes. He liked watching you do your thing. It was nothing like the unpredictable mess that was his line of work. Yours was calculated and precise yet so natural to you. He truly admired the way you danced around the space grabbing at objects and humming to yourself. Maybe that's why your magic was so effective. Because you put so much of your love into it.

Once the concoction was gathered and mixed together in a jar, a string of words left your lips quite naturally as if you had done the enchantment a million times. It wasn't really anything special nor complicated. Just a simple sleep spell really. "May you rest easy and dream of wonder and happiness," You added as a special boost. Hurriedly, you bent down to the jar and blew a puff of shimmery turquoise magic into the container and shut it. The hue seemed to splutter and pop, prompting you to hold the jar up your face to inspect the way the shiny glow was absorbed into the rest of the mix. You were happy to report that the remedy turned out great and you would have no need to remake it.

"You know what to do. It's a tea mix yada yada." You droned on as you held the blend out for your tall friend to take. "Please tell me if you're nightmares come back. I'll make you a stronger potion." Your spoke softly with a sort of carefulness that danced around the topic and Lucas could tell you were genuinely concerned about him. After all, you and Kun were really the only people he confided in about the nightmares that stemmed from his job. 

"I will." 

Of all things Lucas refused to admit, saying that he was fond of you wasn't one of them. However, he would still never admit that out of all his friends, you were his favorite. Lest he give you the satisfaction of lording that fact over the rest of the group. He slunk his arms back over your shoulders and trapped you in an embrace. A gesture you returned wholeheartedly. "What would I do without you?" He muttered as he rested his chin of the top of your head. 

"Probably annoy the hell out of Kun or blow up the castle with Xiaojun. Speaking of castles, Hendery told me about your mission with Xiaojun," you stated, your words coming out muffled through the thick fabric of his tunic.

"Mmm yeah. Just a couple of orcs terrorizing villages. Nothing me and Xiao can't handle. We'll be back in a few days or so, so don't worry. Cause we're strong boys." He patted your head affectionately before releasing you and walking towards the door. "Duty calls."

"Be safe and tell Xiaojun I said hi." 

"Will do. See you soon, Y/N." 

You nodded your head and watched the male stride down the winding path, through the forest until he was no longer in sight. Cheerfully, you began to hum again and pranced over to the kitchen to return and reorganize everything you had just uprooted. "Yang Yang. You're jealous," You chirped with a playful yet knowing tinge in your voice. Even with your back to your familiar, you could sense the aura about him. 

"Am not."

"Yang Yang, three years and yet you still can't remember. I can feel your emotions." 

Silence ensued, but not for long. A pair of arms slithered up from behind your waist and engulfed your body in a tight, clingy hug. Your familiar was taller than you and used this advantage to comfortably rest his chin atop your head just as Lucas had done a few minutes ago. You were used to this behavior by now and so was Yang Yang. The familiar made no effort to struggle as you turned to embrace him from the front. Your chin now rested on his chest so you could peer up at him. "Now what do I always say?" 

"That I'm like your one and only familiar and like you love me." 

"Forever and always," You finished. A smile was on both of your faces as you parted. "Now then you clingy kitty. I'm going into town soon so don't get into trouble." You flicked his nose before rubbing the big fluffy ears perched on the top of his head. "Okay, go run off," You instructed. Like a good familiar, Yang Yang morphed back into his black cat form before slinking off into the woods through the window per your instructions.

~

The market place was lively as always. Merchants advertised their products from their stands, children ran around jovially, and people milled around the streets interacting with others. You were no exception. Most people who passed you, greeted and conversed with you for a few seconds. Being's the kingdom's head witch definitely had it's perks. When normal doctors and apothecaries couldn't heal their patients through conventional methods, you stepped in. Many of the villagers attributed their lives to you and offered gifts in repayment. You always turned them down for you had no use for them. Seeing them happy and healthy was all the reward you needed. 

Your persistence still wouldn't stop a few merchants from offering you items for free whenever you stopped by to buy groceries. As a regular customer, you would have expected them to start charging you, but they never did. Nonetheless, you still handed them the gold currency of the kingdom before thanking them and leaving. That was just how it went.

"Wow Y/N, I'm surprised you didn't notice me. What a cruel friend you are," A voice taunted from in front of you. 

You blinked yourself out of whatever day dream you had been having to meet the gaze of your favorite snake charmer, the devilishly handsome but slightly evil in a good way, Ten. He stood in front of you with a jovial smile on his face and his hands on his hips. Some of the more prominent bits of scale decorated skin reflected off the sun in a slightly blinding sheen and glinted into your eyes. Why he had scales, you had no idea and no reason to find out, but you knew it had something to do with his connection to snakes. Speaking of, one of the reptiles was slithering around his arms, paying you no mind.

"Sorry, I was just day dreaming about stuff."

"You should be careful. Gotta watch where you're going ya know." 

"I know, I know. Where're you going?" You asked, knowing that Ten preferred to spend his time busking or hanging out with your group of friends. 

"I'm heading back to the castle. Just found a new friend and I'm going to hide Lila here in Kun's bed." He smirked mischievously and gestured to the light brown creature now slithering around his torso. 

As much as you wanted to laugh along with Ten about his plan, you knew that it would never succeed. Kun's power of clairvoyance would come to his aid one way or another. That man always found out no matter what. There was a reason that Kun was Hendery's and by extension, the Kingdom's prophet after all. 

"Hendery won't like a snake roaming around his palace," You stated. E/C orbs flicked over in the direction of said estate before returning to the conversation. "And Kun would figure it out anyways." 

"But he only sees important stuff," the male pouted. 

"I guess. You could certainly try." 

"How's Yang Yang?" Ten asked. 

"Clingy as always but I love him. Anyways,I should probably head back soon. He doesn't like being away for too long."

Per usual, the male's attitude flipped. Ten also tended to get clingy and affectionate whenever you mentioned your connection with Yang Yang. "Ugh Yang Yang's so lucky he gets to live with you and your cooking," he whined. "Why don't you just come live with us again? Then we get to see you every day!" 

"I would but I don't want to accidentally blow up your place. You guys have Xiaojun for that, he's got big boy magic. Maybe even Lucas. Man all of you would blow it up. Besides, unlike Xiao, my magic works best when I'm closer to nature. I also wouldn't want to accidentally let any evil spirits in," you teased, fingers wiggling at the boy like a child.

"Yeah yeah, but that won't stop me from missing you every day," the snake charmer grumbled. 

"Mmm. See you soon Ten. Try not to murder Kun, kay?" You then gave him a hug, making sure not to aggravate the reptile slithering around his body, before departing. 

~

The trek back home was a bit of a long one, but it was entirely your fault for choosing to live in the woods on the outskirts of town. Nonetheless, it was rather peaceful and you opted to spend the journey humming to yourself and feeling the green energy flow around you. Soon enough, the edge of your small dwelling peaked through the trees and revealed itself.

"Baby I'm home," you called loudly, knowing that your familiar could hear you even from miles away. All due to the magical work of your bond.

For a moment, your home was quiet as you attempted to sense the whereabouts of your trusted companion. A few seconds later, you felt his aura approach the cottage, so you settled down on the couch. The moment the silky black cat bounded in through the open window, you felt off. As soon as you heard it, you knew why. Pained squeaks and terrified whimpers were coming from the direction of the approaching cat.

You whipped around to face Yang Yang as he came to a halt. Clamped in his mouth was a small, white, bleeding mouse. "Yang Yang!" With a gasp, you knelt down to the feline, who gently dropped the animal into your palm. You ignored the cat as you sprinted into the kitchen and nearly tore apart your messy workspace to find the archaic piece of literature that was your spellbook. 

The rodent struggled weakly in your grasp and went a bit too limp for your liking. Now, in a panic, you lunged for the book after spotting the aged, brown binding, and flipped to the healing spells. Tears began to well in your E/C orbs as you felt the life draining from the frail little creature. "Just hold on little one," you cooed reassuringly as if the mouse could understand you. You knew that all creatures understood what you communicated to a degree. You just hoped this particular creature could understand you.

"Aha." You came across a spell that would turn back the time on an injury. All it required was for you to chant the spell while stroking the affected area. In this case, the mouse had deep bite marks along its side. "Spirits gleam and glow.Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse.Bring back what once was mine.Heal what has been hurt.Change the Fates' design.Save what has been lost.Bring back what once was mine," you whispered to the creature as your fingers gently caressed its stained, crimson fur.

A warm, turquoise glow began spreading out from your fingertips. The iridescent shimmer tickled at your delicate skin, but you continued to stroke through the creature's fur until you were sure that the glow was gone and the spell had finished. With a tender touch, you rolled the unconscious creature onto its side to evaluate its now healed wound. Looks like it won't scar.

"Are you mad at me?" The solemn voice of Yang Yang asked. 

A pregnant silence filled the room. You refused to make eye contact with the male, feeling a bit on the edge about whether you were upset or not. Instead, the sleeping creature in your hand became your center of attention. You couldn't really be mad at him. You loved him too much for that, but he still injured an innocent creature and that was against your values and rules. 

"It wasn't me. I found him like that after a skunk attack," he earnestly defended.

Your eyes softened before you looked at the boy. "I'm sorry I doubted you, baby." 

"I'm sorry I scared you." The male wrapped his hands around your waist and rested his chin atop your head like he had done earlier in the day. With that, the two of you made up and gained a guest for the next week or so. 

~

The two days after the surprise, the mouse stayed in a coma like sleep. If you didn't feel its life force slowing regenerating, you probably would've thought the poor creature was dead.But you were a kingdom's witch for a reason. Your spells are almost always on point. You figured that the reason he was still asleep was because its tiny body couldn't process the influx of magic energy you forced into him to keep him alive.

For good measure, you kept the mouse by your beside in a makeshift little bed that you enchanted to fit the needs of its guest. It stayed there until the second night, when it suddenly expanded into a twin bed in the corner of your room. The near heart attack that both you and Yang Yang got was just the cherry on top of the unwanted cake. It wasn't unlike your magic to make sudden sounds whenever there was a radical change, but you weren't expecting the earsplitting "pop" that erupted in the middle of the night. 

Through the veil of darkness, your hand shot at the beside table to reach for a candle. Once the desired item was found, your hand hovered over the top of the wick, creating a small flame. Groggily, you waited a few moments for your eyes to adjust before noticing the elephant in the room. A loud gasp escaped your lips as you saw it, or him. 

Sitting on the now human sized bed was a very human sized human boy. Well he really wasn't exactly a boy. More like a teenager to young adult. In fact, he only looked about a year younger than you were so he was technically a young man. That didn't matter though because regardless of age, you would've been scarred forever. Said young man was missing some very crucial garments to keep him decent. He sat, confused for a few seconds before making eye contact with you and realizing of his indecency. 

At this point, Yang Yang had also realized of the boy's presence and instinctively lunged from beside you in bed to protect you, or rather your eyes for that matter. His hands struck out to hover over your eyes as he screamed "Y/N don't look!" 

"Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here?" The boy asked, obviously terrified. 

"You're in my cottage. We're in the east woods, at the edge of the town. My name is Y/N L/N. I'm a witch. The idiot covering my eyes is Yang Yang. I have no idea why you're here though. Who are you?" 

After a pause, the boy hesitantly spoke up. "My name is Jisung," was the only information that the boy was wiling to give. 

'Y/N, I think he's the mouse from two days ago. He was probably a shifter and got injured in his mouse form so he couldn't shift back into a human.' your familiar suggested from the crevices of your mind. Yes the two of you could telepathically communicate. If you couldn't, then what was the whole point of literally having your soul be connected to his.

"Okay okay Jisung. You're a mouse correct?" You questioned. 

There was no response. You couldn't judge by his body language either because well, you couldn't see. ' He nodded,' the voice echoed in your head again. "Okay, so, Yang Yang found you in the woods after you got attacked. He brought you to me so that I could heal you, and I did."

"Can I go home now?" Jisung prodded shyly. 

"Not yet. I'd say that you'll be ready to go in about three days or so. It's just to make sure that you're fully healed. I used a time spell on you. Who knows whether or not it might reverse and leave you wounded again. And damn it Yang Yang just get some clothes for Jisung. This is ridiculous. I am a grown woman." 

"Fine. Keep your eyes shut though," he pouted before leaving the room to get some clothes from his own bedroom. (The bedroom he never seemed to use in favor of yours.)

With eyes secured shut, you engaged in conversation with the boy. "Does anything hurt?" 

"My side's a little sore but that's it."

"That should be fine then."

A short and awkward silence ensued. "I'm uh sorry to intrude on you and your uh husband?" the male asked curiously. You then realized how scandalous of a position you had been in before the incident. Yang Yang had been cuddling you to death in bed and the two of you had been sound asleep before the whole human boy in your room incident. 

Your cheeks warmed as a small blush spread across it. "No he's just my familiar. He likes to sleep in my bed as a cat, but sometimes he accidentally transforms into a human you know. Kinda like you just did." 

You can never ever hear Yang Yang coming or going, but you knew at the moment that he had come back into the room. You sensed him entering but you also felt the side of the bed sink from his weight. After some ruffling sounds, Yang Yang told you to open your eyes, so you did. You immediately took this opportunity to analyze the boy. He was tall, lean, and most importantly, really cute. Plus, he had a pair of fluffy mouse ears perched on the top of his head. 

Said boy shifted nervously under your gaze and and averted his eyes. He just couldn't bring them to meet your own. You were just really pretty to him honestly. He felt a bit nervous before, when you weren't looking, but now, he was pretty much terrified.

"I'm sure you've gotten enough rest already, but it's literally the middle of the night so you should probably sleep. You can sleep in Yang Yang's room. It's not like he uses it," You suggested. "Don't worry, I'll take care of the bed." You slipped off of your own comfy safe haven and headed towards the door. Pausing, you ushered for the boy to follow. 

His bare feet padded after you down the hall. You pushed the door open to the dark room and told him to get in bed. Jisung didn't know why but he followed your every instruction without hesitation. Something about your aura made him feel safe and protected. Not a single thought of escape crossed his mind as you left his side and tiptoed to the door. "Good night Jisung. Sleep well."

When you returned to your own barely dimly lit room, your familiar was peering at you from the middle of the bed. "Shut up," You murmured before crawling on top of the mattress and shoving the boy over to the side. The male chuckled softly before scooting closer to snuggle into your back. Your H/C locks tickled his nose a bit as he tucked his head into the crook of your neck. This was nothing but normal for you. You returned the affection by playing around his hand and even pinching the pressure point on it. He yelped quietly before flicking you back in retaliation. After, you quickly settled down and felt your eyelids pull you towards the land of dreams. "Mmm, go to sleep baby."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Jisung awoke in rather unfamiliar room, alone and a bit scared. The last thing he remembered was of playing an unnecessarily intense game of hide and seek in the woods with the Dreamies before encountering a rather nasty skunk. The lone boy stared blankly out of the window and into the greenery for a second before the aroma of food wafted into the room and drew him away.

Hesitantly, the mouse boy slid off the mattress and tip toed to the door as stealthily as possible. Being the mouse that he was, he really had no problem with being stealthy. The boy creaked open the wood door to see a small living room attached to an open kitchen area. In said area, a pretty girl flitted around, softly singing a tune to herself without fear of being caught. It almost felt intrusive to see this girl in her happy place. But Jisung didn't know where exactly this place was to begin with. 

After watching a few dramatic turns, the boy was able to recognize the face behind the voice. Of course it was you, the girl he conversed groggily with last night. A quick recap of the previous night's events sped through his mind and he found that he was quite glad to see you dressed in normal day clothes over the simple shift you had on last night. This was a thought that brought a flush to his squishy cheeks.

Upon turning around, your eyes lit up cheerfully as you gasped. With an excited grin on your face you gestured for the boy to sit at the table. "I thought you would've left last night. I'm glad you're here though. Are you okay with eggs? I can make you something else."

Sheepishly, the male reached up to his neck out of habit. "uhhh." He paused for a second to collect his thoughts. "That's fine. I thought you said that I'd stay for three days."

"I mean. You randomly woke up in a stranger's house. I thought you'd want to run away." You placed a plate of food in front of him before leaning on the chair."There's really no one stopping you. It's just to make sure you're in tip top shape before you leave." You paused for a second before speaking under your breath. "And to make sure I haven't accidentally reversed your aging process,"

The male stayed silent for a minute or so. His mind went blank. "Reverse my aging process?!" he sputtered. 

"I mean I swear I'm not horrendous at magic, I just wanted to make sure you were perfectly fine ya know? I've only been doing magic for three years now..Anyways.." You trailed off, trying to find something else to talk about. You weren't bad, but you weren't too confident about trying out new spells. "You should eat up. You haven't eaten anything for a few days. How else are you going to recover?" You suggested, easily turning the tide to fret over the boy. "If you eat now, I'll make your favorite food tonight. How does that sound? What would you like me to make?"

"Pizza?" He quietly replied.

"Will do! Now eat up," you commanded, before patting his head and striding into the kitchen to pull out something that Jisung couldn't quiet see.

Soon, you returned to sit across from him at the table. The boy watched curiously as you dropped a few items on the table and began to sort them out. You felt his his curious gaze on you so you looked up to make contact with his eyes. This was something that Jisung noticed was strikingly similar to what Johhny would do. Oh that extroverted man and his fearless eye contact. You interrupted his train of thought by answering his unasked question. "Embroidery. There's really not much to do so I do this for fun. Aside from reading or painting. Yang Yang plays the violin sometimes, but he's almost always sleeping." You sighed. "Cats, man."

"Oh."

"You must be bored already, would you like to join?" 

I don't know how to. I don't think I'll be very good at it either," he answered truthfully. 

"Nonsense, I'll teach you,"you piped before getting up to put away the boy's empty plate. "Okay so..." you started, pulling a thread out and looping it into the tiny needle hole. You secured it with a knot and handed the tiny metal piece to the boy, who held the needle at the tips of his fingers as if he were scared of it. He watched intensely as you fed the fabric into the hoop and handed that to him too. You repeated the process but kept the needle and hoop for yourself the second time through to have an example. "So you poke the needle into the fabric and do this," You explained as you began a simple stitch into the cloth.

The inexperienced boy tried following suit but came out with a wonky, uneven mess. You giggled when he accidentally got the threads tangled around his large hands. It was nice, he thought. There was something about it that was akin to the sound a group of pixies playing in the forest that he once came across. He wouldn't mind listening to you laugh all day. He could even get used to your soft fingers, which were untangling the red string from around his. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it," you assured, not taking your eyes off the task at hand.

But Jisung wasn't worried in the slightest bit. Not when he was gazing intensely at your pretty long lashes and scrunched nose that made up your serious face. Sure he'd just met you the previous night, but you were kind and sweet and pretty. There was no harm in admiring those traits even if you were still merely a stranger to him. Right?

The rest of the morning and even afternoon was spent on the table, embroidering (or attempting to embroider in Jisung's case.). After teaching him of the basics, you had challenged him to embroider something cute onto the cloth. You yourself were sewing a cute flower design across the fabric. Jisung made work on a small dragon design that was supposed to be someone he referred to as his friend "Chenle" when you asked about it. It ultimately came out looking a bit cartoonish and simple. He liked it though, and so did you, who praised how fast he was improving at it. Around twelve, your familiar, who had been lounging on the window sill, transformed back into a human to bless your ears with the melodious music that was his violin.

True to your word, the three of you made a pizza for dinner. Jisung was pleasantly surprised that you had let him and Yang Yang help you. Although you made the dough yourself,the two boys were allowed to throw on whatever toppings they wanted. Like the children they were, they took this phrase quite literally. Seriously, both boys were stationed from a distance away, tossing the food as if it were a basketball. You stood to the side and tried your best to dodge the flying bits because what is life without a little fun? You knew it was a mess, but seeing their smiles was worth it. Plus, it was nothing a simple cleaning spell couldn't fix.

As much as you tried to stay clean, there was no way to truly avoid getting assaulted by the bits flying through the air. A moment before disaster, Yang Yang let out a low "oh shit." And Oh shit indeed. Slowly, you peeled a small cherry tomato from your hair and sent a playful glare at the boy. At least the familiar had the brain to take off sprinting before you reacted too harshly. Not a second after he hightailed it, but you were quick to launch into action. The poor familiar was caught on the couch, where you proceeded to mercilessly tickle the hell out of him.

All the while, Jisung was nearly on the floor with laughter. His loud guffaws echoed through the room and made it's way to your ears. "Oh you wanna go?" You challenged, before running after him too. He shrieked loudly before dashing off to the kitchen counter. For a while, the two of you did the whole circle the counter thing before you caught him too and tickled him mercilessly. After your mission was complete, you helped the tall boy off of the food smeared floor and patted the bits of ingredients off of his back. "Go clean up. I'll put the pizza in the oven," you ordered before shoving him lightly towards the direction of the bathroom. When the boy reemerged, he was greeted with the aroma of the pizza and the sight of you and Yang Yang sitting on the table, waiting for him.

"Well come on." His fellow male ushered.

JIsung knew he wasn't supposed to, but he really did like it here. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and there was not a moment when he wasn't having fun or smiling. He wanted to stay. There was something about you that compelled him to be around you as much as possible. Jisung liked the warm feeling in his chest whenever you talked to him. It made him feel cared for. Unknown to the naive boy, this something, this "Je ne Sais quoi", was a crush sprouting from the roots of his heart.

~

"Ahhhh, so this is what a festival is," the tall boy by your side spoke as your trio approached the town.

Said town was adorned with an abundance of brilliantly colored streamers, flags and decorations. By the time the three of your had reached the most lavishly embellished area, the town square, the sun had set a considerable amount, giving way to the soft glow of the yellow lanterns hung for the special occasion. Additionally, several merchant booths were set up along the sides, displaying gorgeous crafts items, fun games, or delectable foods. The jovial atmosphere was intensified with the addition of people merrily milling around and the band tooting softly in the background. It was a familiar view for you, who visited every year yet you never grew tired of it.

"It's a fall festival. Our friend Hendery's been hosting it every year since Y/N was six," Yang Yang explained as he led the group in weaving in and out of the crowd. "We should be meeting up with them soon. I guess we'll find them one way or another."

"Since Y/N was six?" The tall boy asked, his head tilted at the oddly specific time stamp.

"Yeah, I'm twenty right now. Hendery started hosting the festival a year after he took me in," you stated right as you arrived at the bronze statue that marked the center of the square. "Enough about that though. What would you like to do?"

"I...have no idea. Maybe you could show me your favorites."

Happily, your trusty familiar obliged and took off towards a beloved vendor who sold Yang Yang's favorite snack. You weren't the best at making said snack so the festival was optimal time for him to stock up on the delicious food. 

The crowd was thick and languid, so you had to hold onto Jisung's hand to keep him from being whisked away. The boy was a bit worried that you were separated from your familiar, but you assured him that you knew where the cat was going. As you wove through the masses, you made sure to keep an eye out for any of your friends, knowing that they would definitely show up.

"Found you! What took you so long? I thought you were supposed to be like the energetic ones cause you're younger." Yang Yang's face suddenly popped up in front of you, causing a bit of a fright to your other companion. In his hands were three of the sweet treats to munch on while you strolled around and looked at the stalls.

The crafts were nothing less than beautiful, as expected of your kingdom's fine craftsmanship. Every time you visited, the stalls were never really the same. Many of the owners were merchants from distant towns in the kingdom who visited the capital during the festival in hopes of generating big business. Their plan certainly worked.Every year travelers from distant towns indulged themselves on the festivities. Though you were not a traveler, you ended up buying cute trinkets and such every day. It was practically tradition at this point.

The group wandered around for a bit until a fancy booth caught Jisung's eye. You noticed his interest and practically dragged the boy towards it. Luckily for you, the booth belonged to one of the locals, whom you had known for while. "Ahhh good evening Y/N. Have you finally found yourself a man?" The shopkeep's teenage daughter teased as she eyed your newest companion. Suddenly, you were all too aware of the large, warm hand encompassing your own. Your cheeks lit up and you wriggled your hand out of Jisung's.

"Ahhh no, he's a friend," you evaded, much to the girl's amusement. Luckily, she left you alone to greet another customer.

When you looked over to check on your group, the two boys were staring at a bunch of charms on display. You joined them only to be entranced by a cute charm yourself. "Pretty," you muttered as your finger traced the shiny silver crevices of the object. An urge to spoil your friends soon settled in and compelled you to purchase bracelets and the charms to go on them. No matter how much Jisung or Yang Yang protested, your resolve was set.

"You've done so much for me already. What can I do to pay you back?" the tall boy asked, feeling rather guilty for infringing so much on your quiet life. His shimmery dark brown eyes peered at the floor and his thumbs twiddled with each other. It was cute, really.

"Don't sweat it. You're like our friend now," the other male piped, casually slinking an arm around the boy in a show of comfort.

"He's right you know. You're our friend now so don't feel so guilty."

The mouse boy felt his heart speed up at the declaration. Not that he was friendless; he had more than enough friends at home. A euphoric warmth spread through his chest. Jisung had only known you and Yang Yang for a few days, but he felt close anyways. Realistically, more than he should've. Your entire being was entrancing and practically invited him to drown in your open friendship.

One could only hope and pray to find someone with a soul as loving and pure as the H/C beauty basking in the warm rays of the lanterns in front of Jisung. Yet he was lucky enough to be found by you. Awe and admiration captured the defenseless boy and gripped at his heart. Here you were, standing in front of him with the golden light illuminating your being as you gazed into the distance with a content grin. Was it wrong for him to never want to leave your side? Was it his young naivety compelling him towards the pretty girl who showed him kindness? He really didn't care at the moment.

Your delicate features seemed to light up with surprise and joy as the melodious blend of instruments trickled into your ears. Your gaze snapped back to the shy boy and an idea crossed your mind. Surging forward, you snatched his hands within yours and stared sincerely into his eyes. "If you want to make it up to us, then dance with me."

The boy sputtered, a bit taken back by the request. "But I don't know this dance."

You ignored his protests as you skipped into the center of the festival with him in tow. Excitedly, you shouted over your shoulder to tell your familiar to grab a partner and that you'd join him later. "It'll be fun!' you assured your partner as you twirled him around to face you.

Swarms of happy couples twirled and danced around your bodies, nearly drunk in the music and blithe. Jisung could barely comprehend the blur of bodies passing him, dizzying him. The one clear thing that seemed to draw him back to reality was the shorter girl standing in front of him with an animated glint in your eyes. You took his hand in your right hand and guided his other down to your waist. At last, you settled your left hand on his shoulder.

Without giving the boy a moment to react, you took off, flitting and waltzing around the unofficial dance floor to the tempo of the music. Your partner was stiff at first, but loosened up soon enough. After all, it was a really easy dance. Once again, the world was a whirlwind. The only difference now was that he was apart of it all and genuinely enjoyed it.He was basking in every moment. Every detail of your swishing skirt and tousled hair ingrained itself into his memory as you twirled around dramatically.

But moments, no matter how beautiful, do not last forever. This dance was notorious for its peculiar trading of partners. It was a good way to meet new people. Feeling just a little guilty, you freed yourself of his hold. "I'll see you soon," you promised, before pushing him towards another partner and turning on your heel to greet your new dance mate.

"I can't believe you'd leave me like that," your newest partner pouted as his expertly settled his hand on your waist and grabbed onto your hand.

"I never promised my first dance to you Baby," you cooed, boots padding across the stone to the familiar routine. You and your closest friend had partook in this routine for years to the point where it just came natural. "Who was your first partner?"

The familiar spun you before readjusting his hold on you. "Sally. Blacksmith's daughter." At the moment, your duo swayed past said girl, who had actually acquired your past partner as her current one. "Nice girl. Give's me the creeps sometimes though."

"I'm sure she means well," you hummed as your linked arms with him. "Dear sire, I'm afraid we must part now," you jested as you bowed your head toward the male.

"But of course my lady. May we meet again my love," he returned playfully before letting go and rejoining with another. You followed suit and with a leap of faith, twirled into the arms of your newest mate.

"Hi Hi!" the voice of your friend greeted cheerfully, his hands already making way to hold onto you.

"Ten!" you cheered. You knew you were in good hands. Ten had been dancing since forever, and something in the way he moved made him like no other. You weren't the best, but you knew this song by heart. You had no problem matching his skill when it came to this specific choreography, which made conversing like your old friend so much easier.

"I see you've got a new friend," he commented before glancing at the passing boy, who'd somehow ended up dancing with Yang Yang of all things. You were not going to let them hear the end of how comical it looked.

"Met him a few days ago. How'd the Kun thing go?"

The male laughed and you had to admit, it was +extremely pleasing to the ear. "He kind of caught me red handed." Ten paused to laugh a bit more, bringing a smile to your face. Glad it wasn't too disastrous. "Said the guards told him I was acting suspicious again."

In turn, you giggled with the imagine of Ten ducking and rolling at unnecessarily dramatic times throughout the castle halls. "I'm sure you were. Better luck next time." As quickly as the conversation started, it ended. The two of you fell into comfortable yet content silence as you glided around merrily. Ten's turn felt short lived as the music cued you to bid adieu.

The last dance just had to be a good one. You felt it in your veins as you twirled over to whomever may be waiting. For extra measure you squeezed your eyes just just for a bit.

You knew when the time was right to open your lids because the fates were always on your side. You wouldn't have been so magical if they weren't. As soon as you could see again, a sharp gasp escaped your lips. No time was wasted in hugging your fellow magic user.

"Xiaojun!" You squealed happily as your hand instinctively settled into his.

"Hi Y/N," he greeted, endearment invading his voice as he glided around the dance floor with you snuggly in his hold. "How's it been? Blow up anything without me?"

"Pretty fun actually. I got a new friend, he's super cute and adorable. I just want to squeeze his cheeks sometimes. But no I have not blown anything up. That's your job," you paused to stick a tongue out at the man. "How was the trip?"

Your partner bit back just the smallest of grimaces in thought before answering. "We managed to save the village, but a few orcs escaped." He sounded a bit disappointed, but you knew his job was hard enough on its own. However, his tone drastically changed in mentioning the next topic."Also, we met a new friend too. He's an elf, so I'm really surprised he interacted with us in the first place. He actually saved us from a bit of a pickle. So we brought him back for the festival. Ya know. For fun and stuff."

"That's really cool," you mused. "I've never met an elf. All the books say they're really aloof. They don't really like humans that much huh."

"Mhmm, I guess now's the perfect time to meet him then," Xiaojun replied, now slowing down as the music did, both of which stopped altogether. You eyed the crowd of people and spotted your two companions. When you knew they saw you, you ushered for them to come along. They obliged.

The male blessed with majestic eye brows led the three of you to a group of tall men that you hadn't really noticed standing in the shadowed corner. Two of them wore cloaks, but one of them was entirely concealed by its hood. The first person you noticed was the tall, almost giant, Lucas. You grinned at him as you approached, happy to see him in one piece.

A gasp escaped one of the boys whom you didn't recognize. From his pointed ears and stoic expression, you could tell he was the elf that Xiaojun had mentioned. His line of sight seemed to have been glued on your newest friend. Jisung himself seemed to be extremely surprised. Obviously, they knew each other. 

"Where the hell were you for the past week? We were all worried!" the elf roared before staring you and Yang Yang down suspiciously. "Chenle hasn't stopped looking for you for a week." 

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys. I got injured and Y/N Yang Yang healed me and let me stay at their place until I got better," the boy explained sheepishly as he was nearly crumbling over the elf's pointed glare. Like an invisible switch had been flipped, the elf stopped glaring and softened his gaze. The male stepped forward to hug the younger boy. 

"I'm glad you're safe." He turned to you. "And thank you for helping Jisung." Now, all suspicion had left the male and gave way for sincerity. 

"No problem uh.."

"WinWin," the elf answered, to which you gave a smile in reply. 

"Well I guess this gives cause for celebration," a voice interrupted. It was familiar. Like you'd heard it for years upon years. Said voice lowered their hood just a bit so you could see them. You could never miss those large eyes and happy smile. 

"Hendery!" you squealed, making sure to mind your volume for the sake of his safety and privacy. The man nearly fell backwards at the force in which your hurled towards him at for a hug. But he was strong despite his sheltered life in the palace, so he held his stance with ease, now with his best friend within his arms. 

"Hey princess," he greeted, using the childish nickname he'd dubbed you when the two of you were eight and completely convinced you'd marry each other when you got older. Eventually, the notion did fade(For you for the most part), but the endearing nickname stayed.

"Glad you came."

The prince gave you a quick squeeze before releasing you from his hold. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Took a hell lot of effort sneaking him out this time," the last boy spoke. Next to the hooded figure emerged the face of your other best friend, thus increasing your pre-existing smile tenfold. You scurried over to the prophet to give him a greeting hug too. Maybe giving people hugs, a trait you shared with your snake charmer of a friend, might've been just a bit scandalous considering that all your friend were males, but you were just comfortable around them that's all.

Speak of the devil and he will emerge. "Guess the gang's all together," Ten's high pitched voice called as he neared your group. "Anyone up for some alcohol? Well maybe not for you baby, you're too young," he jested as he addressed Yang Yang, who looked a bit offended. The snake charmer's arm settled on the younger boy's shoulder. 

"As if grandpa," He retorted.

"Only grandpa around here is Kun."

To this, the prophet burst. "Ya! I'm only a few months older than you!" A rest of the group snickered because you all loved to mess with the poor boy. In return, Kun just looked done with their antics. "Whatever, let's just go get some ale," he sighed before walking off. At the end of the day, your group still looked up to him as your leader and they all trotted off behind him like ducklings following their mother. 

The two newest members seemed to be hesitating so you gave him a little nudge. "Like Hendery said, we should be celebrating! You can take Jisung home with you afterwards. I'm sure all of his friends and family are missing him right now, but one more night wouldn't hurt right?" 

"I suppose..." the elf answered. 

"Great! It'll be fun," you insisted as you led them towards the bar, where your friends were already getting drunk off their asses.

You weren't exactly the type to drink, but the rest of the boys surely were. Even Winwin seemed to be opening up to the group more and drinking. Although he wasn't nearly as inebriated as the humans, he was just a bit tipsy. Clearly he'd never had human alcoholic beverages before, which apparently had much more actual alcohol content in them than whatever elven drinks he may have consumed previously.

"Have you never drank ale before?" you questioned the newcomer after observing him sway for a bit on his seat, the bright red flush of alcohol present on his face. He blinked at you for a second before nodding his head no. 

"We don't really drink where I'm from," he answered. To which you mouthed a silent o. "You're the witch that lives in the cottage in the east woods right?" he asked without fully understanding what he was saying nor the implications of it. 

In turn, you sent a questioning look to both the elf and Jisung, who sat next to you while silently sipping on mead. Was it possible that Jisung knew who you were even before you took him in? He wasn't from any of the towns from what you heard, and you were sure that you weren't known within the creatures dwelling in the forest. You made sure to keep your experimentation to a minimum and never attempted any real dangerous magic. (Unlike Xiaojun)

"I can sense the magic on you." Before Jisung really had the chance to talk, his hyung pressed a finger to his lips to shush him. "Renjun said the dreamies were going to check on the witch tomorrow." To which the mouse boy frankly looked shocked.

"I thought Taeyong said not to go near there."

"He doesn't know. We were getting desperate," the boy answered before taking yet another swig of the ale. 

Jisung stared at the elf in disbelief. They were desperate enough to go to the fabled old witch's area. Well obviously said fabled "old" witch was barely a few years older than him and nothing like the decrepit child eating hag that he and his friends were envisioning. In fact, you turned out to be much sweeter and friendlier than he could ever imagine, so the inevitable guilt of you barely missing out on having to deal with his friends and their anger bit at him. 

All the while, you were leaning on the table with your chin propped up on your hands, trying to decipher the meaning behind his words. Who were the dreamies? Who was Taeyong? Why did his name sound so familiar? Why weren't they allowed near your abode? You weren't really mad at all. Just confused. 

"Wait why aren't you allowed near my place?" 

"Cause we thought you were an old hag," the elf blurted, surprising you, jisung, and most importantly himself. He slapped a hand over his mouth and his dark brown eyes widened. "Ah no, wait that's not what I meant, I'm sorry that was rude. I don't think you're a hag. That's not it, you're really pretty. Not a hag at all I swear," he apologized, hands swinging around wildly. 

Jisung's large hand cut the elf off from his ramble. The younger male sent you an apologetic look before standing up with the older boy in his grip. "Sorry, he's not thinking straight right now. We should be going." You stared at him blankly with wide eyes. Well this was rather sudden. You were hoping to send your friend off with some baked goods or something for the trip home. 

"Do you know the way home?" You asked, concerned since he seemed a bit away from home. 

"Yeah I know, just down the main road and into the forest," he assured. 

"Well don't be a stranger. You know where I live now, so come and visit kay?" 

"Uh yeah will do, bye," he replied, finally taking his hand off the Elf's mouth. Whereas Jisung waved goodbye to you and Yang Yang, WinWin waved goodbye to the rest of the group he'd just become acquainted with. 

Hendery soon made the spot next to you warm again as he slid down onto the seat. The two of you watched the two figures grow smaller and smaller before disappearing into the darkness. "Well they seem fun," the prince commented before swiveling back to the table. You followed suit and look a long swig of your sweet beverage. You gave him a simple nod in return. "Missing them already?" He asked. 

"Maybe."

"Aww come on princess, I know what'll cheer you up," he declared before standing up and outstretching a courteous hand toward you. 

"But I'm tireeeeddd," you whined lazily. 

"Come on, I don't throw these festivals for you every year just for you to sit around drinking. Besides, you haven't danced with me yet."

"Fine, " you sighed even though you weren't actually against dancing with your best friend. Hand in hand, you and the disguised prince made your way to the dance floor after promising your group you'd be back soon. Naturally, you had to enjoy the celebrations when your best friend threw them just for you.


End file.
